The Easiest Way to Measure for a Fireplace Grate

Making sure you have the correct measurements is a vital process when purchasing a brand-new fireplace grate. We will walk through the process to obtain the right measurements for a new fireplace grate.

You will need a few things to help you:

Measuring Tape for correct measurements, paper to write those measurements on and a pen or pencil to write with, and depending on the light levels in your room, a flashlight might help. We also recommend that you wear some clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty, because there is a good chance you will get dirty and sometimes that soot is hard to get out of your clothing.

Step 1 – Measuring the Width:

Measure the width of your fireplace opening in the very back of your fireplace and write this measurement down. Make sure to get as far back as possible for the most precise dimensions, this is where the flashlight might be helpful.

Measure the width of your fireplace opening at the front of your fireplace and write this measurement down.

Now that you have both the back width and front width, deduct 6 inches from each dimension. If, for example, your front width is 42 inches, then you would subtract 6 inches, which would offer you a final width of 36 inches. If the rear width is of 38 3/4, you would round to the next whole number then subtract 6 inches for the final 32 inches.

You will need the rear width to make sure you are purchasing the right grate size, as they can be found in numerous various back widths. Some fireplaces have a radical taper and some fireplaces have no taper at all.

NOTE: The most common mistake when ordering a fireplace grate is to only look at the front width and ignore the rear width in a tapered fireplace. This typically ends up in a costly return after paying shipping. Be sure to confirm that all measurements before ordering.

Keep in mind that fireplace grates are categorized by their front width, you may need to look at several sizes before you find one that will fit your fireplace.

Step 2 – Measuring the Depth:

Measure the depth of your fireplace from the fireplace door, or from the beginning of the fireplace opening and write this measurement down.

Now that you have your depth dimension, deduct 6 inches from this measurement.

Ideally, you want to have about 3″ on all sides of the grate to ensure appropriate feature & air flow.

Step 3 – Find your Grate:

With these dimensions, you now have a guide to start searching for a new fireplace grate! We hope this short article was valuable to you.